Chelsea Transfer Rumors: The Blues Would Be Smart to Pursue Striker Demba Ba

Chelsea is reportedly in the running for Newcastle striker Demba Ba (h/t Daily Telegraph), and the Blues would be smart to add the Senegal native to their attack.

Chelsea has also set its sights on RadamelFalcao and Gonzalo Higuain, but Ba's skill set and relatively inexpensive contract makes him the more reasonable target. Ba's release cause from Newcastle is just £7 million, which makes him considerably cheaper than Falcao and Higuain.

Ba has also been one of the most productive forwards in the Barclay's Premier League this season. He's tied for third in the league with 11 goals, and only Luis Suarez of Liverpool averages more shots per game than Ba (4.3).

As you can see in the video above, Ba is an exceptionally fast striker who can score with either foot. He's comfortable finishing in traffic, and at 6'2", he's a menace in aerial situations.

He's on pace to crush his goal total from last season (16), and at 27 years old, he still has plenty of good soccer ahead of him. He's also been successful as a substitute, so Chelsea could continue to start the enigmatic Fernando Torres if they wished.

No, Ba wouldn't be as sexy an acquisition as Falcao or Higuain. But given his age, productivity and contract situation, he would be an excellent pickup for Roman Abramovich and Chelsea.